Stabilizing bracket for outboard motors



Jan. 30, 1962 J. D. GOSSETT 3,018,989

STABILIZING BRACKET FOR OUTBOARD MOTORS Filed NOV. 1, 1960 J. D. GosseflATTORNEY States Patent 3,018,989 STABILIZING BRACKET FOR OUTBOARD MOTORSJames Dillard Gossett, 1201 Greenbriar St., Fort Worth, Tex. Filed Nov.1, 1960, Ser. No. 66,466

2 Claims. (Cl. 248-4) 7 This invention relates to a snap-lock structurefor outboard motors, and it concerns more particularly an improvedsnap-lock structure for securing an outboard motor in an inclinedposition relative to the transom of a boat on which the motor issupported, for beaching the boat and for transporting the boat, with themotor attached thereto, on a trailer vehicle.

Outboard motors as constructed heretofore ordinarily include, incombination with a clamping member adapted to be hooked over the upperedge of the transom of a boat, and having means for removably securingit thereto, a normally vertically disposed spindle arranged parallel tothe drive shaft of the motor, forwardly thereof, and rigidly secured atits ends to the frame of the motor, a sleeve journaled on the spindleand Providing a bearing for the motor whereby the motor is movablerotatively about the spindle, and an elongated supporting arm bentsubstantially right angularly intermediate its ends, and having one ofits end portions overlying the sleeve and rigidly connected thereto, andhaving its opposite end pivotally connected to the clamping member,whereby the motor is adapted to be swung about a horizontal axisparallel to the upper edge of the transom.

Outboard motors as ordinarily constructed further include, in thestructure described, means for securing the motor in an operativeposition relative to the transom of the boat, in which the motor isdisposed substantially vertically, comprising, in combination with apair of integral webs on the clamping member extending rearwardly fromopposite sides thereof, in parallel, spaced apart relation to eachother, the webs each having a plurality of spaced apart openings thereinpositioned at progressively greater distances from its rearward edge,the openings of the respective webs being arranged in pairs and theopenings of each web being aligned with corresponding openings of theopposite web, a locking pin extending between the webs and selectivelyinserted through the openings of one pair, means carried by the sleevefor abutment against the locking pin in one position of the motorrelative to the transom, and spring biased detent means carried by thesleeve and engageable with the locking pin to retain the locking pin inengagement with the abutment means.

Outboard motors as ordinarily constructed further include, in thestructure described, means for securing the motor in an inclinedposition relative to the transom comprising a substantially rectangularwire bail, interchangeable with the locking pin, having mutually alignedend portions receivable in the openings of one pair and having anintermediate portion arranged in parallel, spaced apart relation to itsend portions and engageable with the abutment means and the detentmeans.

A disadvantageous feature of the snap-lock structure above described,whereby an outboard motor is adapted to be secured in an inclinedposition relative to the transom of a boat on which the motor issupported, for beaching the boat and for transporting the boat, with themotor attached thereto, on a trailer vehicle, is that it does notprovide a sufficiently rigid support for the motor, whereby the motor ispermitted to sway from side to side while the boat is being transported.

An object of this invention is to provide, in a snaplock structure asdescribed, a modified bail having a second piece of angularly bent wirejoined intermediate its ends to the intermediate portion of the bail,the second piece of wire having an intermediate portion arranged inparallel, spaced apart relation to the intermediate portion of the bail,and normally positioned above it, engageable with the abutment means andthe detent means, and having horizontally spaced, rearwardly extendingend portions engageab-le with the frame of the motor below the sleeve,whereby the motor is positively secured against rotative displacementrelative to the sleeve and is adapted to be rigidly secured to thetransom of the boat.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in a snap-lock structureas described, a pair of tubular resilient elements on the ends of thesecond piece of wire extending rearwardly therefrom for abutment againstthe frame of the motor below the sleeve.

The invention will be readily understood by referring to the followingdescription and the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view showing an outboard motor having asnap-lock structure embodying the invention whereby the motor is securedin an inclined position relative to the transom of a boat on which themotor is supported, and which is shown fragmentarily, partly brokenaway;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional plan view taken on the line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view, on an enlarged scale,showing the motor .in an operative position, in which it is disposedsubstantially vertically, and showing the snap-lock structure includingthe locking pin whereby the motor is secured against pivotaldisplacement from such position while being freely rotatable about thespindle;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3, showing the motor in an inclinedposition, as illustrated in FIG URE l, and showing on an enlarged scalethe snap-lock structure including the modified bail whereby the motor issecured against pivotal displacement form such position while at thesame time being secured against rotation about the spindle;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view showing the modified bail in invertedposition; and

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to FIGURE 2, showing a modified form of theinvention.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates generally an outboardmotor, and the numeral 2 indicates generally a boat having a transom 3to which the motor 1 is attached.

The motor 1 includes a clamping member 4' having a pair of horizontallyspaced, angularly bent arms 5 adapted to be hooked over the upper edgeof the transom 3, and having a pair of screws 6 coacting with the arms5- for removably securing the clamping member 4 to the tran som 3.

The motor 1 further includes a normally vertically disposed spindle 7.The spindle 7 is arranged parallel to the drive shaftof the motor 1,indicated by the numeral 8, forwardly thereof, and is rigidly secured atits ends to the frame of the motor 1. A sleeve 9, which is journaled onthe spindle 7, provides a bearing for the motor 1 whereby the motor 1 ismovable rotatively about the spindle 7.

An elongated supporting arm 10, which is bent substantially rightangularly intermediate its ends, has one of its end portions overlyingthe sleeve 9 and rigidly connected thereto. The opposite end of the arm10 is disposed between the arms 5 of the clamping member 4, and ispivotally connected thereto, as at 11, whereby the motor 1 is adapted tobe swung about a horizontal axis parallel to the upper edge of thetransom 3.

A pair of integral webs 12, which are formed on the clamping member 4,extend rearwardly from opposite sides thereof, in parallel, spaced apartrelation to each other. The webs 12 each have a plurality of spacedapart openings 13 therein positioned at progressively greater distancesfrom its rearward edge. The openings 13 of the respective webs 12 arearranged in pairs, and the openings 13 of each web 12 are aligned withcorresponding openings 13 of the opposite web 12.

As shown in FIGURE 3, a locking pin 14 extends between the Webs 12 andis selectively inserted through the openings 13 of one pair. A collar15, which is rigidly connected to the lower end of the sleeve 9, has apair of outwardly diverging integral fingers 16 extending forwardlytherefrom, in opposing relation to the locking pin 14, for abutmentagainst the locking pin 14 in one position of the motor 1 relative tothe transom 3. The fingers 16 have indentations 17 in their forward endsfor engagement by the locking pin 14.

A U-shaped element 18, the legs of which comprise a pair of lever arms,straddles the sleeve 9. The legs of the U-shaped element 18 arepivotally connected intermediate their ends, as at 19 to opposite sidesof the sleeve 9, and the connected ends thereof are biased upwardly by atension spring 20. The spring 20 is connected at its ends to theU-shaped element 18 and to the frame of the motor 1. The legs of theU-shaped element 18 have downwardly turned hooks 21 on their free ends,which extend forwardly from the sleeve 9, for engagement with thelocking pin 14 to retain the locking pin 14 in engagement with thefingers 16.

The device of this invention, which is indicated generally by thenumeral 22, and which is interchangeable with the locking pin 14,includes a substantially rectangular wire bail 23 haw'ng mutuallyaligned end portions 24 which are receivable in the openings 13 of onepair and having an intermediate portion 25 arranged in parallel, spacedapart relation to its end portions 24.

A second piece of angularly bent wire, indicated by the numeral 26, isjoined intermediate its ends to the intermediate portion 25 of the bail23.

The second piece of wire 26 has an intermediate portion 27 arranged inparallel, spaced apart relation to the intermediate portion 25 of thebail 23, and normally positioned above it, which is engageable with theindentations 17 of the fingers 16 and the hooks 21 of the legs of theU-shaped element 18.

The second piece of wire 26 has horizontally spaced, rearwardlyextending end portions 28 which are engageable with the frame of themotor 1 below the sleeve 9, whereby the motor 1 is positively securedagainst rotative displacement relative to the sleeve 9 and is adapted tobe rigidly secured to the transom 3 of the boat 2.

A pair of tubular resilient elements 29 are received on the ends 28 ofthe second piece of wire 26 and extend rearwardly therefrom for abutmentagainst the frame of the motor 1 below the sleeve 9.

The invention may be modified in various ways Without departing from thespirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with an outboard motor including a clamping memberadapted to be hooked over the upper edge of the transom of a boat, andhaving means for removably securing it thereto, a normally verticallydisposed spindle arranged parallel to the drive shaft of the motor,forwardly thereof, and rigidly secured at its ends to the frame of themotor, a sleeve journaled on the spindle and providing a bearing for themotor whereby the motor is movable rotatively about the spindle, anenlongated supporting arm bent substantially right angularlyintermediate its ends, and having one of its end portions overlying thesleeve and rigidly connected thereto, and having its opposite endpivotally connected to the clamping member, whereby the motor is adaptedto be swung about a horizontal axis parallel to the upper edge of thetransom, a pair of integral webs on the clamping member extendingrearwardly from opposite sides thereof, in parallel, spaced apartrelation to each other, the webs each having a plurality of spaced apartopenings therein positioned at progressively greater distances from itsrearward edge, the openings of the respective webs being arranged inpairs and the openings of each web being aligned with correspondingopenings of the opposite web, a locking pin extending between the websand selectively inserted through the openings of one pair, means carriedby the sleeve for abutment against the locking pin in one position ofthe motor relative to the transom, and spring biased detent meanscarried by the sleeve and engageable with the locking pin to retain thelocking pin in engagement with the abutment means, a substantiallyrectangular wire bail, interchangeable with the locking pin, havingmutually aligned end portions receivable in the openings of one pair andhaving an intermediate portion arranged in parallel, spaced apartrelation to its end portions, the bail having a second piece ofangularly bent Wire joined intermediate its ends to the intermediateportion of the hail, the second piece of wire having an intermediateportion arranged in parallel, spaced relation to the intermediateportion of the bail, and normally positioned above it, engageable withthe abutment means and the detent means, and having horizontally spaced,rearwardly extending end portions engageable with the frame of the motorbelow the sleeve, whereby the motor is positively secured againstrotative displacement relative to the sleeve and is adapted to berigidly secured to the transom of the boat.

2. The structure of claim 1, and a pair of tubular resilient elements onthe ends of the second piece of wire extending rearwardly therefrom forabutment against the frame of the motor below the sleeve.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,646,238 Kircher July 21, 1953 2,893,342 Langford July 7, 19592,911,938 Hulsebus NOV. 10, 1959 2,977,084 Brown Mar. 28, 1961 FOREIGNPATENTS 588,464 Great Britain May 22, 1947

